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Subic rape case fallout

Published by Ellen on December 22, 2006

US cancels military exercises with RP over rape case

By Veronica Uy
Agence France-Presse, INQUIRER.net

THE United States has cancelled its annual joint military exercises with the Philippines due to the continued detention of a US Marine convicted of rape, an embassy spokesman said Friday.

“The custody issue is at the heart of this,” embassy spokesman Matt Lussenhop told INQUIRER.net. “Due to the current custody issue (over the US Marine), the usual protection provided to US servicemembers is in doubt.”

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Gloria Arroyo’s chief spook throws lavish party

Published by Ellen on December 22, 2006

Following is Fe Zamora’s story ” Isafp holds lavish Christmas bash with ‘Emperor’ “in today’s issue of Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Decadent!

Update: AFP warned soldiers against solicitation for their Christmas party but played deaf and blind to reports of solicited appliances given away by ISAFP Chief Delfin Bangit in their party last Wednesday.

AMID shouts of “Long Live the Emperor,” Armed Forces intelligence chief Brig. Gen. Delfin Bangit threw P500 bills, like they were candy, at the Isafp (Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines) Christmas party held on Wednesday night.

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Spoken with forked tongue

Published by Ellen on December 21, 2006

We all know that Gloria Arroyo speaks with a forked tongue.

At the 71st anniversary of the Armed Forces of the Philippines she extolled the military under the leadership of AFP Chief Hermogenes Esperon: “You have pushed back vested interests, you have upheld military justice, you have maintained command discipline and rallied around the flag.”

Arroyo also said “Transparency is crucial.”

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Marine faces court martial over distribution of Erap biopic

Published by Ellen on December 21, 2006

There is now a new crime in the Philippines: distributing DVD copies of movies Gloria Arroyo does not like.

Following is the report of Malaya’s Victor Reyes on the trial by court martial of first Lt. Artemio Raymundo for,believe it or not, sharing with fellow marines DVD copies of former President Joseph Estrada’s biographical movie.

And we are supposed to be a democracy!

THE staff judge advocate of the Marine Corps has recommended the trial by court martial of a junior officer for distributing copies of the former President Estrada’s biopic in videodisc.

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Ang Christmas wish ni Val Querubin

Published by Ellen on December 20, 2006

Sa kakatutok ko sa isyu ng Cha-Cha at Con-Ass hindi ko napansin na magpa-Pasko na pala at hindi pa ko nakahanda ng aking mga pang-regalo.

Noong nanood nga kami ng concert ni Otoniel Gonzaga at Dulce sa Philamlife noong Dec. 9, doon ko na-realize na nagsimula na pala ang Christmas season dahil marami sa kanilang kinanta ay Christmas songs.

Ang aking pamangkin ay dumadalo sa simbang gabi kaya kapag almusal nakikita kong may sapin-sapin at kutsenta. Sabi ko sa kanya bumili ng puto bumbong at bibingka ngunit ang haba raw ng pila sa ganoong kakanin.

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Very Gloria Arroyo

Published by Ellen on December 19, 2006

I think Gloria Arroyo’s latest flip-flop on cha-cha was driven by her fear of being abandoned by her opportunistic allies now that she is seen as a lameduck.

Yesterday morning, in her speech at the Asian Development Bank, Arroyo said she will pursue cha-cha with “urgency and vigor.”

With the prospect of her staying in power beyond 2010 courtesy of cha-cha, she can still command the support of congressmen, especially when impeachment time comes again next year.

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Huwag umasa sa simbahan

Published by Ellen on December 18, 2006

Habang sinusulat ko ito, mga alas tres ng hapon,may mga nagra-rally sa Makati sa harap ng Ninoy Aquino monument sa panulukan ng Ayala Avenue at Paseo de Roxas.

Sabi ng Malaya reporter, mga 5,000 raw ang mga tao. Nandoon sina Bishop Yniquez at Makati Rep. Butz Aquino. Nakita ko sa TV na maraming nawawagayway na bandila. Karamihan ay pula.

Sa rally sa Luneta noong Linggo, medyo napag-usapan na ito ng mga naii-inis sa nangyari doon na hindi man lamang sila makawagayway ng kanilang bandila o magdala ng streamers na magpapahiwatig ng kanilang saloobin laban sa administrasyong Arroyo.

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Nearing the end-game

Published by Ellen on December 17, 2006

I think we are nearing the end-game of the political crisis rooted in the cheating by Gloria Arroyo in the 2004 elections.

The Luneta rally yesterday, whether it was attended by 150,000 as estimated by participants or 15,000 as counted by the police,was a ringing political statement that the people have not forgiven Gloria Arroyo despite the cancellation of the abominable “House-only” Con-Ass and her retreat from her Charter Change advocacy.

All sectors of society were represented in yesterday’s Luneta gathering. The Erap’s “masa” were there wearing orange headbands with a “No to Cha-Cha” message.

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Character change, not charter change

Published by Ellen on December 17, 2006

Malaya’s report on the Luneta rally:

BY GERARD ANTHONY NAVAL

REFORMS in government, including in the electoral system, should first be instituted before tinkering with the Constitution, Church leaders said in an anti-Charter change rally held yesterday at the Quirino Grandstand at the Luneta.

“Mas magiging maayos ang charter change na pino-propose (nila) kung magkakaroon muna ng pagbabago sa mga tao bago ang kung ano man ang baguhin… tulad ng Saligang Batas natin,” said Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines which initiated the rally.

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